Negroni

Hotel Baglioni, 1919*

  • 1.25 oz. Beefeater Gin (or other London Dry gin)
  • 1.25 oz. Campari
  • 1.25 oz. Martini Italian Sweet Vermouth

Build in a chilled rocks / old-fashioned glass over an oversized ice cube starting with gin, then vermouth, and then Campari. Stir gently. Express the orange peel over the glass and add as garnish.

*As simple as this classic cocktail is, its origins are a mystery.

This New York Times article credits a wealthy Florentine named Count Camillo Negroni who suggested making a boozier version of the Americano (a Campari-based drink) to bartender Fosco Scarselli at Hotel Baglioni in Florence around 1919.

Caffè Giacosa (known as Caffè Casoni between 1919 and 1920 and a mere 6-minute walk away from Hotel Baglioni) cites that Fosco Scarselli was their bartender and created the cocktail for Count Cammillo Negroni (spelled intentionally with 2 m’s) who frequented their establishment.

In an 1886 letter to his brother, General Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni writes about inventing a vermouth-based cocktail while he was stationed in the French colony of Saint Louis in Senegal, West Africa between 1855 and 1865 and how it was popular at the Lunéville Officers Club of Lorraine. Was the Negroni actually invented in Senegal rather than Italy? Read more facts gathered at Drinking Cup.

Vieux Carre

Walter Bergeron, Swan Bar (Carousel Bar) at Hotel Monteleone, c. Late 1930s

  • 1 oz. Sazerac Rye
  • 1 oz. Cognac
  • 1 oz. Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
  • 1 barspoon Bénédictine
  • 2 dash Angostura bitters
  • 2 dash Peychaud’s bitters

Stir and pour into a old-fashion / rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish: lemon twist.

This “Old Square” cocktail  was “…created as a tribute to the different ethnic groups of the city: The Benedictine and cognac to the French influence, the Sazerac rye as a tribute to the American influence, the sweet vermouth to the Italian, and the bitters as a tribute to the Caribbean…” according to official word from Hotel Monteleone.

Juliet and Romeo

Violet Hour, Wicker Park, Chicago, IL

  • 2 oz Beefeater Gin
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • 3 drops Rose Water
  • 3 drops Angostura Bitters
  • 3 slices Cucumber
  • 3 sprigs Mint
  • Tiny pinch of salt

Muddle cucumber, mint and pinch of salt. Add rest of ingredients. Let sit for 30 seconds (time allowing). Shake. Strain. Garnish with 1 floating mint leaf and 1 drop rose water on top of leaf, and 3 more drops of angostura on the surface of the drink.

Found at the Bradstreet Crafthouse in Minneapolis, the Patterson House in Nashville and the Rickhouse in San Francisco, this Violet Hour signature drink deserves to be in your house. An interesting article on the Toby Maloney and his influence on the cocktail culture across the country can be found on citypages.com.

Photo courtesy of Jen Chan. Read and see more pictures of the Violet Hour on her site, foodpr0n.com.

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Portrait of a Bartender

Jerry Slater, One Flew South, Atlanta, GA, 2008

  • 2 oz. Jameson or Finian’s Irish Whiskey*
  • 1 to 1 1/2 oz. St. Germain
  • 1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters
  • Orange Peel

Stir over ice and pour into a chilled coupe. Add orange peel for garnish.

Similar to the St. Jameson at the Blind Duck in Spokane, Washington. That recipe calls for equal parts 1:1 Jameson and St. Germain. This review at Our Libateous Nature suggests that the St. Germain should be dialed back a touch so that it isn’t too sweet. Read more about this cocktail on AJC.

Photograph courtesy of H. Harper Station.

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God's Little Acre

God’s Little Acre

H. Harper Station (closed as of April 1st, 2016), Reynoldstown, Atlanta, GA

  • 2 oz Booker’s Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Fernet Branca
  • 3/4 oz Sorghum Mix
  • 2 dashes Fee’s Whiskey Barrel-aged Bitters
  • Flamed Orange Peel

Stir over ice then pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the flamed orange peel.

Sorghum Mix:

Mix equal parts sorghum syrup with distilled water over medium heat and stir until mixed in thoroughly. Refrigerate after use.

A reference to the southern novel by Erskine Caldwell’s book, this cocktail is also known as The Bitter Southerner #1. Read more and see photos of Jerry Slater making this cocktail on the Bitter Southerner.

Photo courtesy of My Libatious Nature.

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Bufala Negra Cocktail

Bufala Negra

H. Harper Station (closed as of April 1st, 2016), Reynoldstown, Atlanta, GA

  • 1 1/2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
  • 4 fresh Basil Leaves
  • 1 Brown Sugar Cube
  • 1/2 oz Balsamic Syrup
  • 2 oz Ginger Beer

Muddle the basil leaves with the sugar cube and syrup. Add bourbon and shake with ice. Strain and top with ginger beer.

Balsamic Syrup:

  • 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of simple syrup (1:1)

Combine vinegar and simple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then quickly reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate in an air tight jar after use.

Featured in Imbibe and the New York Times, this cocktail put H. Harper Station on the map. See Jerry Slater make a Bufala Negra with Pamela Berger on Sweet Peach. Paige Rhodes from My Modern Cookery recommends trying Crabbies spiced orange ginger beer.

Photograph courtesy of My Modern Cookery

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